1. Technical field
The invention relates to a soft pack comprising at least one blank made of paper or similar packaging material, in particular a soft-carton pack for cigarettes, having blank regions, folding tabs, etc. which are connected to one another by adhesive bonding. The invention also relates to a process and to an apparatus for producing such packs having folding tabs connected by adhesive bonding or thermal sealing.
2. Prior Art
The constantly increased output capacity of packaging machines results in problems with the gluing of folding tabs and other parts of the packs. Glue subassemblies for applying (cold) glue are the cause for frequent breaks in operation on account of soiling in the region of the glue subassembly or of the packs themselves.
The object of the invention is to propose measures which ensure precise, disruption-free and efficient handling of the gluing of (cigarette) packs.
In order to achieve this object, the pack according to the invention is characterized in that the blank regions, folding tabs, etc., in particular side tabs and/or base tabs, are connected to one another by hot-melt glue, it being the case that applications of glue, in particular strips of glue, are applied to the non-folded and planar blank, and are activated by the feed of heat during the production process.
Provided in the region of a base wall of a soft-carton pack is 30 a specific application of glue which results in increased sealing. For the purpose of connecting base tabs, namely longitudinal tabs and side tabs, use is made of a double-T-shaped application of glue with a longitudinal strip for connecting the longitudinal tabs and with transverse strips for connecting the longitudinal tabs to inner side tabs.
A special feature is that a band (or revenue stamp) which is conventional in the case of cigarette packs is connected to the pack by hot-melt glue. According to the invention, the front and rear walls of the pack or of the soft carton are provided with areas of glue which serve for connecting the band to the pack.
The gluing of the packs according to the invention can be integrated in a conventional packaging machine, in particular in a soft-pack packaging machine. It is expedient in this case to activate expanses of glue at different locations as the folding and production process progresses and to connect the corresponding blank parts to one another. It is advantageous for the base wall to be glued in the region of a folding turret. Border strips for forming a side wall may be glued in the region of the folding turret or advantageously in the region of a separate activating turret. In the region of the latter, a band is also provided and fastened by the use of hot-melt glue.
The invention is also concerned with a specific configuration of the (activating) turret, which is provided with elongate pockets for receiving a plurality of packs in an axis-parallel position, the pockets having heating elements for local heating of the packs. In this process the heating elements or heating jaws can be used for the reactivation of the correspondingly formed glue or for the thermal sealing of folding tabs or other pack parts, with the folding tabs or the like, which are to be joined together by sealing, being comprised of thermally sealable plastic or having such layers.
A special feature is also constituted by the configuration of the turrets as far as the feed of supply and control lines as well as the control of a multiplicity of controllable elements of the turret are concerned.